Portable beverage case



Feb. 20, 1951 w. H. SUTTON 2,542,162

PORTABLE BEVERAGE CASE Filed July 194s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [UH/[am H. Suffon Patented F eb. 20, 1951 V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to portable beverage cases, and more particularly to beverage serving equipment adapted to be carried by hand in the manner of carrying an ordinary valise or suitcase.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved carrier including a case and a closure construoted or equipped to house, and hold in predetermined orderly and accessible arrangement, various supplies, ingredients, utensils, and other articles ordinarily needed in preparing and consuming beverages.

Another object of the invention is to provide equipment of the class referred to which is adapted to hold removable articles, such as bottles and glasses, against becoming disarranged accidentally while being transported.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable beverage case of the character stated including means for supporting glasses on the inside of a hinged side cover or closure, and for maintaining the glasses substantially upright in all positions of the closure.

Other objects will become apparent from a reading of the following description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is aperspective view of a portable beverage case embodying the invention, showing a side cover or closure in open position;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the portable beverage case illustrated in Figure l, with the parts being shown in the same positions as in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an end elevation showing the cover or closure in partially open position;

Figure 4 is an end elevation showing the cover in closed position, with a portion of an end wall broken away so as to show internal parts in elevation;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the portable beverage case with the cover or closure in open position, certain articles ordinarily carried by the case being omitted; and

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view showing the positions occupied by certain of the parts when the side cover or closure is closed.

A preferred and representative construction embodying the invention is shown as including a carrier comprising a case A and a closure or side cover B hinged to the case at its bottom as at I so as to have pivotal movement from the closed position shown in Figures 4 and 6 to the partially open position shown in Figure 3 and the completely open position shown in Figures 1, 2, and 5.

The case includes a bottom 2, ends 33, a top 4, and a rear wall 5 assembled and connected in any suitable manner. A handle 6 attached to the top 4 provides for easy handling of the entire carrier. The opening movement of the closure B is limited by articulated links 1-'! in a well known manner.

The case A and closure B are constructed or equipped to carry all of the supplies, utensils or other articles ordinarily needed in providing and mixing beverages. Generally stated, the construction and arrangement of the parts are such that some of the supplies and equipment are carried within the case A and some are carried on the inside of the closure B, the whole arrangement being such that when the closure is partially open, or open, the supplies will be positioned for convenient access and handling.

In the form shown, the case A is provided with a panel 8 which extends parallel to and is spaced above the case bottom 2. The panel 8 is formed with two openings 9--9 for receiving bottles 10-! containing beverages or beverage ingredients. The bottles l0-lll may be lowered vertically into openings 99 so as to rest upon the case bottom 2. The panel 8 holds the bottles against shifting parallel to the case bottom, but permits their being lifted and removed from the case. If desired, spring clips ll-l I of a well-known kind may be secured to the case rear wall 5 so as to engage the bottle necks and hold them against tipping rearwardly or toward the ends 33 of the case.

The panel 8 has an opening 12 for receiving an ice chest or container l3 equipped with a removable lid l4. The ice chest [3 may easily be lifted and removed for being refilled but is held against lateral shifting by the Walls of the panel opening l2.

The panel 8 also is formed with four openings [5 for receiving jigger glasses i6 and maintaining them against horizontal shifting movement while they rest upon the case bottom 2.

A glass rack I! and an auxiliary receptacle or box I8 for holding accessories are mounted on the inside of the cover B. 1 In the form shown, the rack I! is pivoted on two spaced brackets or bearing standards l9 so as to swing about an axis parallel to the axis of the hinge of the cover or closure B. The rack I! comprises a panel, plate, or board 20 formed with openings 2! for receiving glasses II, for example, high-ball glasses, which can extend downwardly through the openings 2! and rest upon a bottom strap 22 connected to the board 20 and forming a part of the rack II.

In accordance with the invention, means are provided for maintaining the rack l1 substantially level so as to hold the glasses l1 substantially upright in all positions of the closure B. Holding the glasses l1 upright facilitates filling the glasses, and mixing and stirring of beverages whether the cover is in its fully opened position as shown in Figure 1 or whether it be only partially open as shown in Figure 3. For maintaining the rack I! level, one end of a link 23 is pivoted as at 24 to one end wall 3 of the case at a point spaced above the hinge I, and the other end of the link 23 is pivoted at 25 to the rack 11.

The linkage constituted by the case A, the closure B with the standards 19 thereon, the rack l1, and the link 25 operates in such manner that when the closure B is swung outwardly from the position shown in Figure 4, through the position shown in Figure 3, and to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rack I! will turn about its pivots on the standards 19 and will remain substantially level with respect to the case bottom 2;

When the side cover or closure B is in the closed position shown in Figures 4 and 6, the strap 22 of rack 11 will be disposed immediately above the lid M on the ice container l3, thus preventing accidental displacement of the lid and maintaining the entire ice chest in place within the panel opening i2. The inner or rear edge of the rack plate or board 20 passes directly in front of the bottles l0, slightly above their largest portions, so as to prevent the bottles from accident-- ally being displaced vertically or tipped forwardly.

The auxiliary receptacle l8 comprises an elongated box serving conveniently for holding a supply of lemons, lump sugar, muddlers, a bottle opener or similar auxiliary supplies or devices. The receptacle i8 is equipped with a lid 26 hinged as at 21 and urged to closed position by any suitable means such as a hinge spring 21 The receptacle 48, considered as a whole, is pivoted as at 28 on brackets 28 secured to the closure B in such position that, when the closure B is open, the receptacle 18 will be disposed in front of the jigger glasses [8 but at a lower elevation, so as not to interfere with access to the jiggers. In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the receptacle [8 is caused to swing about its pivots 28 when the cover B is closed, so as to avoid contact with the sides or edges of the jigger glasses 1%, the receptacle being moved to a position immediately above the jigger glasses 18 when the coverB is completely closed. For accomplishing this movement and final positioning of the receptacle l8, it is pivoted as at 29 to an ear 29 on the link 23, which, as previously explained, also controls and efiects the desired movements and positioning of the glass rack I1. When the parts are in the positions shown in Figures 4 and 6 with the cover closed, the receptacle 18 will be supported immediately above the jigger glasses 18 so as to prevent their being displaced accidentally from the openings l5 in the panel 8.

It will be apparent that a portable beverage case constructed in accordance with the invention provides not only for the carrying in a small case of all of the ingredients, supplies, and utensils ordinarily needed, but it furthermore provides for holding the glasses, bottles, and ice chest substantially upright so as to facilitate handling of the bar and the preparing of beverages. The construction shown in the drawings embodies the invention in the form now preferred but various changes may be made Without departing from the invention as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A portable beverage carrier comprising a case and a side closure hinged to the case at the bottom thereof; an ice chest in said case; a lid on said ice chest; means at the bottom of the case and adjacent the closure lower edge for receiving a jigger glass; a glass receiving rack pivoted on the inner face of said closure; an open top receptacle pivoted on the inner face of said closure; and link means connecting both said rack and said receptacle to said case and being operable during closing of said closure to maintain said rack and said receptacle upright, said rack extending over said ice chest lid and said receptacle extending over the means for receiving a jigger glass when said closure is in closed position.

2. A portable beverage carrier comprising a case and a closure hinged to the base at the bottom thereof; means having an opening for positioning a necked bottle upright in said case and spaced from said closure when the latter is in closed position; two spaced standards mounted on the inner face of said closure; a glass receiving rack pivoted on and between said standards; and a link connected at its opposite ends respectively to said case and said rack and being operable during hinging movements of said closure for maintaining said rack upright, said standards and said rack being so positioned on said closure that when the latter is in closed position an edge of said rack extends over a portion of the opening in said bottle positioning means for holding a bottle therein, against both tipping and vertical/movements in said case.

WILLIAM H. SUTTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 397,984 Hess Feb. 19, 1889 542,901 Spear July 16, 1895 846,553 Cummins Mar. 12, 1907 1,920,171 Gerstner Aug. 1, 1933 2,122,042 Mattucci June 28, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 520,770 Great Britain May 2, 1940 656,893 Germany Feb. 17,1938 

